... Barrett was overjoyed when the 14th Space Shuttle flight retrieved Palapa B2 and Westar 6, two failed communication satellites whose identical anomalies had left them stranded in useless orbits far below their intended geosynchronous target...
... since 6 April 1965 and the launch of Early Bird, the first commercial communications satellite. In that time three technological revolutions in satellite communication have occurred right before my eyes. All three were connected with mastering new...
... the mainstay of the space industry: more than half of the space business involves building and launching communication satellites. Satcoms services and applications are the largest space sector and are a major driver of space technology...
.... Spacepower is ubiquitous, or in the case of Earth observation near ubiquity, because communications, satellite navigation and environmental monitoring satellite systems provide coverage of the entire Earth’s surface. Finally, spacepower provides...
... further compounded by the need for inclusion of redundant systems to provide contingency against damage during launch. Communication satellites have similar constraints that limit flexibility and operations, and Figure 1 illustrates how these affect...
... and operators. A tough challenge remains in bridging NewSpace approaches with the stringent requirements of old space. Commercial communication satellites are very often unique, each with their own design differences. A one-size-fits-all approach...